News / Local
Patrick Chinamasa under fire over salaries exposé
21 Mar 2014 at 06:25hrs | Views
FORMER Bulawayo deputy mayor Alderman Amen Mpofu has accused Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa of creating a side show from the real issues affecting the country by revealing salaries of local authorities.
Mpofu said only Media, Information and Publicity minister Jonathan Moyo deserved credit for the "salarygate" as he was the first to expose the rot in parastatals and State enterprises.
"Chinamasa wants to dwell on unimportant issues when industries continue to close. Where was he all this time? The only person deserving credit on exposing these salaries is Moyo," Mpofu said.
"Chinamasa is trying to divert attention on the collapsing industries and economy. Why can't he tell us about the government?
"He should tell us how much ministers are getting paid and compare that to the assets they have acquired," Mpofu said.
He said exposing salaries at the local authorities would not help the country in any way.
"This will not take us anywhere as a country. What the people want to know is how the government is dealing with corruption at the top.
"Most of the corruption is happening there in the government and that is what people want to know."
Chinamasa revealed salaries of parastatal chiefs and local authority executives on Monday while announcing a $6 000 cap Cabinet agreed on. Harare town clerk Tendai Mahachi topped the list of council executives with a salary of $23 313 followed by his Gwanda counterpart Gilbert Mlilo who takes home $20 588.
Chitungwiza Town Clerk George Makunde was third with $19 663 followed by Plumtree town secretary Davis Dumezweni Luthe who earns $17 027.
Victoria Falls town clerk Philip Ndlovu was ranked fifth with a salary of $16 199 while Beitbridge Rural District Council chief executive officer Albert Mbedzi was sixth with a salary of $15 210.
The Chinhoyi town clerk followed with $14 358 while Bulawayo town clerk Middleton Nyoni is the eighth highest paid local authority executive with $11 379.
Mpofu said only Media, Information and Publicity minister Jonathan Moyo deserved credit for the "salarygate" as he was the first to expose the rot in parastatals and State enterprises.
"Chinamasa wants to dwell on unimportant issues when industries continue to close. Where was he all this time? The only person deserving credit on exposing these salaries is Moyo," Mpofu said.
"Chinamasa is trying to divert attention on the collapsing industries and economy. Why can't he tell us about the government?
"He should tell us how much ministers are getting paid and compare that to the assets they have acquired," Mpofu said.
He said exposing salaries at the local authorities would not help the country in any way.
"This will not take us anywhere as a country. What the people want to know is how the government is dealing with corruption at the top.
"Most of the corruption is happening there in the government and that is what people want to know."
Chinamasa revealed salaries of parastatal chiefs and local authority executives on Monday while announcing a $6 000 cap Cabinet agreed on. Harare town clerk Tendai Mahachi topped the list of council executives with a salary of $23 313 followed by his Gwanda counterpart Gilbert Mlilo who takes home $20 588.
Chitungwiza Town Clerk George Makunde was third with $19 663 followed by Plumtree town secretary Davis Dumezweni Luthe who earns $17 027.
Victoria Falls town clerk Philip Ndlovu was ranked fifth with a salary of $16 199 while Beitbridge Rural District Council chief executive officer Albert Mbedzi was sixth with a salary of $15 210.
The Chinhoyi town clerk followed with $14 358 while Bulawayo town clerk Middleton Nyoni is the eighth highest paid local authority executive with $11 379.
Source - Southern Eye
